HMS Balfour (K464)

HMS ''Balfour'' was a of the Royal Navy which served during World War II. She was built as a TE (''Buckley'') type destroyer escort in the United States and delivered to the Royal Navy under the Lend-Lease arrangement.

Construction and design

The was one of six classes of destroyer escorts built for the US Navy to meet the massive demand for escort vessels following the United States's entry into World War Two. While basically similar, the different classes were fitted with different propulsion gear and armament. The ''Buckley''s had a turbo-electric drive, and a main gun armament of 3-inch guns.

The ''Buckley''- (or TE) class ships were long overall and between perpendiculars, with a beam of and a mean draft of . Displacement was standard and full load. Two boilers fed steam to steam turbines which drove electrical generators, with in turn powered electric motors that propelled the ship. The machinery was rated at , giving a speed of . of oil was carried, giving a range of at .

The ship's main gun armament consisted of three 3-inch (76 mm) 50 caliber dual-purpose (i.e. anti-surface and anti-aircraft) guns, two forward and one aft, in open mounts. Close in armament consisted of two 40 mm Bofors guns, backed up by eight single Oerlikon 20 mm cannon. A triple mount of 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes provided a capability against larger ships, while anti-submarine armament consisted of a Hedgehog forward-firing anti-submarine mortar and four depth charge throwers and two depth charge rails. Crew was 200 officers and other ranks.

The ship, which was originally planned to become USS ''McAnn'' with the hull number DE-73, was laid down on 19 April 1943 at Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation's Hingham Shipyard, in Hingham, Massachusetts. DE-73 was re-allocated to Great Britain under the Lend-Lease programme on 10 June 1943. The ship was launched on 10 July 1943, with the name HMS ''Balfour'' and commissioned on 7 October 1943, with the pennant number K464.

Actions

HMS ''Balfour'' served with both the 1st Escort Group and 18th Escort Group earning battle honours for service in the North Atlantic, off Normandy and in the English Channel.

In February 1944, ''Balfour'' was part of the 1st Support Group, supporting convoys to the west of Ireland. In June 1944, the Allies invaded Normandy, and the 1st Escort Group, including ''Balfour'', was one of six Escort Groups deployed to form a barrier about 130 miles west of Lands End to prevent German U-boats based in the French Atlantic ports from interfering with the landings. These Escort Groups were later moved into the Channel, and on 25 June 1944 the 1st Escort Group was searching south east of Torquay for a submarine that had torpedoed the frigate when ''Balfour'' detected a sonar contact. ''Balfour'' attacked with Hedgehog, which resulted in several explosions and a slick of oil. ''Balfour'' and sister ship then followed up with depth charges. At the time, the two frigates were credited with sinking with the loss of all hands. The Kriegsmarine had ''U-1191'' listed as missing (no radio contact) since 12 June 1944. The Admiralty later withdrew the credit for sinking ''U-1191'', declaring that the cause of that submarine's loss was unknown. Other sources indicate that ''Balfour'' and ''Affleck'' had attacked the wreck of the submarine , sank earlier the same day, and that ''U-1191'' was sunk by British destroyers and frigates on 3 July.

On the afternoon of 18 July 1944, ''Balfour'' attacked the submarine with depth charges. Although ''U-672'' managed to slip away from ''Balfour'', she was badly damaged, and early on 19 July, the submarine surfaced and was scuttled by its commanding officer. All hands (52 crew and officers) were rescued and spent the rest of the war as prisoners of war. This action took place in the English Channel north of Guernsey at position .

In December 1944, ''Balfour'' was Senior Officer's ship in the 18th Escort Group, operating out of Greenock. On 10 January 1945 Cdr C Gwinner assumed command. By March–April 1945, ''Balfour'' had returned to the 1st Escort Group, operating out of Portsmouth against German submarines in the Channel.

Disposal

Following the end of the war, ''Balfour'' was returned to the United States under command of Lieutenant Commander J.D.Davey, transferring back to the US Navy at New York on 25 October 1945, and keeping the name ''Balfour''. She was sold on 28 October 1946.

Notes

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External links

Uboat.net page for HMS Balfour





captainclassfrigates.co.uk

{{DEFAULTSORT:Balfour (K464)
Captain-class frigates
Buckley-class destroyer escorts
World War II frigates of the United Kingdom
Ships built in Hingham, Massachusetts
1943 ships